Gaza

Cardinal asks for prayers for people of Gaza and offers support to the territory's small Catholic community

16/05/2018 11:41 am

Cardinal Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has visited the Catholic parish in Gaza and is keen that they should not be forgotten at this desperate time.

In a statement today, 16 May, he said:

"Today I have had a phone conversation with Fr Mario da Silva, the Catholic parish priest in Gaza, to offer our prayers and support. He told me that life is so hard and everyone is desperate with shortages of water and other basic necessities. He said knowing that Catholics in England and Wales and across the world remembered the people of Gaza and were praying for them was a great encouragement.

“Please pray for peace in the Middle East and especially for the people in Gaza. They are living through traumatic times of remembrance and protest at the dramatically deteriorating humanitarian situation. This is a people who are both extremely vulnerable and deprived. Their fate is central to peace and peace can never be built on neglect.

"In the lead up to Pentecost, I echo Pope Francis’ call for prayers for the people in Gaza."